William & Mary admits bright, diverse Class of 2017

Day for Admitted StudentsAdmitted students and their families enjoy a picnic in the Sunken Garden during a recent Day for Admitted Students. This year's Day for Admitted Students is scheduled for April 13.
Photo by Stephen Salpukas

The
evening of March 26 saw a flurry of activity on social media sites as thousands
of prospective William & Mary students received a simple email, saying that
good news was on the way. The Class of 2017 had been selected, and they were
invited to be part of it.

"Accepted to my dream school, the College of William
and Mary! So incredibly blessed, now where's that lottery ticket…,"
tweeted one student.

William
& Mary once again saw a record number of applications this year, and the
Class of 2017 promises to be yet another bright and diverse addition to the campus
community.

The
Office of Undergraduate Admission received 14,035 applications for the Class of
2017, setting a nine-year streak for record applications. From that
record-setting pool, 4,565
students were admitted, many of whom will soon be on campus as part of the
annual Day for Admitted Students.

"The
strength of this pool was outstanding, and that bodes well for what the members
of this class will accomplish during their time together as students,” said
Henry Broaddus, associate provost for enrollment and dean of admission. “They will challenge one
another and learn from one another, and their relationship to William &
Mary will last a lifetime."

Some
of the highlights of this year’s admitted class include:

Students
of color make up 33 percent of this year's admitted students, and international
students comprise an additional 8 percent.

The
median SAT score of the admitted students is 1410.

Among
students with a high-school rank, 89 percent will graduate in the top 10
percent of their class.

The
selection of the Class of 2017 was a long and painstaking process for admission
staff members, but one well-worth undertaking, they said.

“What
makes it worth it is recognizing that these are not just application files or
names on pieces of paper, but these are real, interesting, talented students,”
said Tim Wolfe, senior associate dean of admission. “Knowing that these are the
students who are going to make up the next great class at William & Mary
absolutely makes a difference.”

Wolfe
said that the new class is not just impressive academically.

“Yes,
the raw academic information there looks great, but when you dig below that and
really see the substance that these students possess both in and out of the
classroom, you can’t help but be proud of this group of students.”

Many
of the admitted students and their families are expected to be on campus on
April 13 for the Day for Admitted Students. The annual event offers a number of
programs and activities for students to meet with members of the campus
community and experience some of what William & Mary has to offer.